New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-01-03
BoGUS GREER COUNTY LIND P.ITENTs.

AwArNI>G FROM ATTORNEY Y-GrNRWNL rrNPLEroN.
OF TENAS.
AUSTIN, Texas Jan. Cptcdb.-ln answer to many in
quirics Attorney General John ID. Templeton to-day
maze statement Of the legal status of the location and
patents land IN Greer County The county embraces
1922 square miles. 1,G7s,Oso acres OF land IL lies
between two forks the Red River. The question in dis
unt between the United states AMI Texas is TO which
o these Two forks is the rcsl Red River according 10 the
treaty between tie United states aud Mexico
The Attorney -GcncrM says: no efforts 10 de-
tcrmiuc the matter Of the disputed boundary
were made from the beginning of the Civil war nnu
1879. In that year Governor Roberts, with view ot
fastening TIE settlement Of the question rs To owner
ship proposed to the Legislature an act TO set aside the
public lands In Greer County for educational purposes
and for the payment OF the public debt According TO
tbi, act which became n law the Greer County lands
were completely reserved from location. The same
legislature in 1879 passed an act granting cerun-
cate, of go Of land To the veterans engaged IN
the Texas Revolution. This law passed five
months after the act rcscrNlng Greer County
land. lon location had become law. The holders of
cc veterans certificates were only authorized 10 locate
thrm on public domain. Specuators made desperate
.nt IN issl Ia nave tnc legislature allow location
oi these certificates Greer County. This Legislature m
creased the amount of certificates from blO acres u lZeo
49, NM rrfi.rd to nllow thir lO,tou in Greer County.
The Legislature IN sS also granted land certificates To
maucd confederate soldiers 10 bc located on any oI the
nn, Jon,in NOT rcscrvcd by law thus it will be
thar the Greer county lands were reserved ny The eeot
Texas for educational purposes. for the pay ucnt o me
stat, dent while the time the state was seeking
a settlement of the important question ot ownership III
defiance % laws reserVing Greer todnty lahus
from location and pcrdig the unsettled Question Oh
owucrsulp many of the veteran ana confederate ccIt-
cafe, were located in Greer Codniy Bogus papers plf-
uortuv 10 be- patents ISSUED granting away some
800 900 of the most desirable PORTIONS
OF these lands. Hundred Of miles OF wre fences nave
been strung and the lands arc now claimed as private
property some OF IL having changed hands many times
seeing that pretended patents were being used Tor
mischicvous purposes institute suits to
hul, the patents declared void anu III
November LAST judgments entered at Ausuh
declaring these patents void The holders oi these
patents now take an appeal Ia the Twentieth Legislature
which Is about The amount OF 1t all Is tht
thc Legislature will he asked To give 10 the claimants
under the socallcd patents the lands they claim lhe
Legislature the right Ia give II la any otber man
rs has the pretended paentees; AS 10 tie OWNER
shin of Greer believed tO belong 10 Texas ana
It's situation makes II practically part OF the stale.
Attorney General Tcmpleons statements are regarded
AS important in view OF the fact that these veteran ana
Confederate certificates which have been located on
Greer County lands and for which bogus patents have
been ssuc have been used for speculative purposes III
the large cities OF the country. Ihousands ot acres oi
the lands which not the state oI Texas nas
title have been sold and rcsod 10 unwary capitalists
Greer County was few months ago organized anu
term of District Court has just been held there